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Ripublik Naoero (Republic of Nauru) Population Projection, 2015: 10,000

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Ripublik Naoero (Republic of Nauru) Population Projection, 2015: 10,000 NAURU UK paid US$73m. compensation for environmental damage during mining. Nauru developed an offshore banking industry in the 1990s but was accused of money-laundering by the international community. In the mid-1990s the economic crisis deepened with the collapse of the Bank of Nauru and in 2000 the OECD’s financial watchdog (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, or FATF) blacklisted the country. In 2001 Nauruagreedtoholddetainedasylumseekersonbehalfof Australia and has subsequently relied heavily on Australian aid. The 21st century has seen much political turmoil. During 2003 there were six changes of president and in Sept. 2004 President Ludwig Scotty declared a state of emergency. Following regulatory tightening of the offshore banking industry, Nauru was removed from the FATF blacklist in 2005. The island continues to face severe challenges, including a health crisis arising from the world’s highest obesity rate. TERRITORY AND POPULATION Nauru is a coral island surrounded by a reef situated 0° 32' S. lat. and 166° 56' E. long. Area, 21·2 sq. km (8·2 sq. miles). At the 2011 Ripublik Naoero census the population (provisional) totalled 10,084 (5,105 males). (Republic of Nauru) Population density, 476 per sq. km. Population projection, 2015: 10,000 The UN gives a projected population for 2015 of 10,000. GNI per capita, 2012: US$12,577 In 2002, 75% of the population (7,572 out of 10,065) were Internet domain extension: .nr indigenous Nauruans. The de facto capital is Yaren. Nauruan is the official language, although English is widely KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS used for government purposes. Nauru was originally settled by Melanesians and Polynesians. SOCIAL STATISTICS Tradition holds that among the earliest settlers were castaways 2011 births, 370; deaths, 75. Infant deaths (2007), 12. Annual from another island, probably Kiribati. The name ‘Nauru’ is a population growth rate, 1998–2008, 0·1%; fertility rate, 2008, 2·9 European corruption of ‘A-nao-ero’,whichmeans‘Iamgoingto births per woman. the beach to lay my bones’. The island has had little contact with its neighbours, enabling its distinctive language to survive. By the CLIMATE 18th century the society was organized into 12 matrilineal tribes, A tropical climate, tempered by sea breezes, but with a high and each headed by a different chief. irregular rainfall, averaging 82" (2,060 mm). Average temperature, The island was discovered by a British captain, John Fearn, in Jan. 81°F (27·2°C), July 82°F (27·8°C). Annual rainfall 75" 1798 but was avoided by most ships in subsequent decades (1,862 mm). because of the region’s notoriety for piracy. In the 1830s European whaling ships began using Nauru as a supply port and European CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT settlers arrived. Though small in number, they had a profound A Legislative Council was inaugurated on 31 Jan. 1966. The impact by introducing alcohol, firearms and disease. An escalation – constitution was promulgated on 29 Jan. 1968 and was amended in tribal conflict resulted in a war from 1878 88, killing 500 on 17 May 1968. A 19-member Parliament (18 prior to the June people or one third of the population. Germany annexed the 2013 election) is elected on a three-yearly basis. island in 1888 to protect its trading interests and in the early 1900s agreed a deal to allow the British Pacific Phosphate National Anthem Company to mine newly discovered phosphates. ‘Nauru bwiema, ngabena ma auwe’ (‘Nauru our homeland, the Nauru was surrendered to Australian forces in 1914. In 1920 its country we love’); words by M. Hendrie, tune by L. H. Hicks. administration was formally passed to the UK under a League of Nations mandate but in practice Australia continued to run the RECENT ELECTIONS island. Australia, Britain and New Zealand set up and jointly ran At the parliamentary elections of 8 June 2013, Baron Waqa’s the British Phosphate Commission, which controlled the phosphate supporters won 14 of the 19 seats. On 11 June 2013 Baron Waqa mining industry. During the Second World War Japanese forces was elected president by parliament by 13 votes to 5. occupied from 1942–45, deporting 1,200 Nauruans to Truk (now Chuuk, in present-day Micronesia) as forced labour. Only 737 of CURRENT GOVERNMENT the deportees returned. In 1947 Nauru became a UN trust, with In March 2014 the government comprised: Australia, New Zealand and the UK as trustees. President, Cabinet Chairman, Minister for the Public Service, On 31 Jan. 1968 the country gained independence. The Foreign Affairs and Trade, Climate Change, and Police and government of President Hammer DeRoburt took over the Emergency Services: Baron Divavesi Waqa; b. 1959 (sworn in 11 phosphate industry, continuing to run it as a communal trust. June 2013). Phosphate prices rose and the country enjoyed a boom Minister Assisting the President, Minister for Finance and throughout the 1970s, achieving one of the world’shighestrates Sustainable Development, Justice, Eigigu Holdings Corporation of GDP per capita. However, mismanagement of the revenues, and Nauru Air Corporation: David Adeang. Commerce, Industry poor investment decisions and a lack of political accountability led and Environment, RONPHOS, and Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation: to problems when prices fell in 1988. In 1993 Australia and the Aaron Cook. Health, Transport, Sport and Fisheries: Valdon 895 B. Turner (Ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook © Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014 896 NAURU Dowiyogo. Home Affairs, Education and Youth, and Land Performance Management: Charmaine Scotty. Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Real GDP growth was –27·3% in 2007 as a result of low Telecommunications and Nauru Utilities Corporation: Shadlog construction spending on phosphate facilities and the suspension of Bernicke. phosphate mining owing to storm damage to port infrastructure, Government Website: http://www.naurugov.nr combined with a contracted public sector. Banking and Finance CURRENT LEADERS The Bank of Nauru is a state bank and there is a commercial Baron Divavesi Waqa bank, Hampshire Bank and Trust Inc. Nauru was one of three countries named in a report in June Position 2005 as failing to co-operate in the fight against international President money laundering. In Oct. 2005 Nauru was delisted and its formal monitoring was ended a year later. The Financial Action Task Introduction Force on Money Laundering was set up by the G7 group of major Baron Waqa was sworn in as president on 11 June 2013 after he industrialized nations. was elected by parliament. In line with the constitution, he is both head of government and head of state. ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES Early Life Environment Baron Divavesi Waqa was born on 31 Dec. 1959. In 1981 he Carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption and flaring of gained his teacher training certificate from the Nasinu Teachers fossil fuels were the equivalent of 14·7 tonnes per capita in 2008. College in Suva, the capital of the Fiji Islands. Five years later he Electricity graduated in education from the University of the South Pacific in Installed capacity in 2007 was an estimated 11,000 kW; Suva. production was estimated at 35m. kWh in 2007. Waqa was first elected to parliament in the 2003 general election representing the constituency of Boe, a seat he has held in Minerals each subsequent election. He was appointed minister of education A central plateau contained high-grade phosphate deposits. The in Ludwig Scotty’s administration from May–Aug. 2003 and went interests in the phosphate deposits were purchased in 1919 from on to hold the portfolios for health, education, telecommunications the Pacific Phosphate Company by the UK, Australia and New Zealand. In 1967 the British Phosphate Corporation agreed to and public works in later governments. hand over the phosphate industry to Nauru for approximately Following his re-election to parliament in June 2013, Waqa $A20m. over three years. Nauru took over the industry in July defeated Roland Kun by 13 votes to 5 in a parliamentary ballot for 1969, and the profits from the mining meant that Nauru had, for the presidency. a brief period, one of the highest rates of GDP per capita in the Career in Office world. However, production declined (from 1·67m. tonnes in – – Waqa’s main challenge is to tackle the failing economy, hit hard 1985 86 to 162,000 tonnes in 2001 02) and the primary reserves by the global financial crisis, and arrest rising food and fuel prices. were exhausted in 2003. Mining of a deeper layer of secondary ’ phosphate began in 2006, and it is hoped that this development In July 2013 there was rioting at Nauru s controversial detention ’ centre for refugees attempting to reach Australia and in Nov. the might resuscitate Nauru s ailing economy. Production was an estimated 84,000 tonnes in 2006. In May 1989 Nauru filed a claim United Nations expressed concern about conditions at the facility. against Australia for environmental damage caused by the mining. ECONOMY In Aug. 1993 Australia agreed to pay compensation of $A73m. In March 1994 New Zealand and the UK each agreed to pay Overview compensation of $A12m. The exhaustion of phosphate deposits has seen GDP per capita recede since peaking in the 1970s and 1980s. The economy is now Agriculture dependent on external aid and imports owing to its narrow In 2007 about 1,000 people were economically active in resource base. Attempts to diversify the economy into offshore agriculture. In 2009 the crop of coconuts was an estimated 2,200 banking during the 1990s proved unsuccessful and the country tonnes. Livestock (2009 estimates): pigs, 3,000. became a haven for money laundering, resulting in its blacklisting Fisheries by international bodies (including the Financial Action Task The catch in 2010 was an estimated 200 tonnes.
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